Trump Envoy Tells Nervous Gulf Allies U.S. Can't Guarantee Security Forever(www.wsj.com)
7 pointsby JumpCrisscross6 hours ago1 comment
  • bluGill5 hours ago
    The US only needs the golf for oil. And most oil is for cars. With EVs coming and wind and solar (which trump hates) already here (where I live, reverse in other locations) there is little need for oil going forward.

    Europe probably needs the Suez canal but otherwise the middle east isn't interested in the world and we don't need them.

    I'm hopeful Africa can became a better world. I need more engineers and scientists, in general but I don't care where they come from. I care only because of the things they can create.

    • verdverm5 hours ago
      The global supply chain runs on diesel (trains, trucks, boats) and that is not likely to change. There is also fertilizer and many other secondary (by)products, notably helium that is required in silicon fabrication.

      https://gowlingwlg.com/en/insights-resources/articles/2026/h...

      Trump's forever war started from hubris and clout. Venezuela taught them the wrong lessons and he cared mostly about "being the guy" who dealt with Iran. Perhaps there were reasons prior presidents chose not to go to war with the IRGC?

      Now he's doing (financially) meaningless diesel deals with Putin... that say more about him and only harms America, Ukraine, and our relationships with allies.

      • bluGill4 hours ago
        A lot of trucks are short haul where battery works fine.

        Overhead wires are well proven for trains, just that maintaining them at current prices is more expensive than diesel.

        Ships I don't have a good answer to, but they are a small minority that we don't need middle east oil for.

        I'm not taking about trump for sanity sake...

        • verdverm4 hours ago
          The turnover in the truck fleet is longer

          For trains, we would have to build out the transmission lines, not sure this works as well for passenger trains vs freight (much heavier), also an even longer turnover time. Curious what the situation in the EU is, they are generally ahead of the US on this front, China even more so.

          > I'm not taking about trump for sanity sake...

          That may be a wise personal choice, however his impact is immense, so I personally prefer not to ostrich. We need to find ways (how we talk with each other) to discuss the issues in terms of civic participation instead of as "politics" that turns people off too quickly. We the people are the only solution to the mess we find ourselves in. One of the hardest to resolve issues we face is the loss of a shared reality, which I blame mostly on our social/news media ecosystem and our consumption patterns therein.